1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-sealing protection filter port attachable to a powered air-purifying respirator.
2. Description of Related Art
Respiratory devices, such as protection masks, also interchangeably referred to herein as gas masks or masks, are well known. Civilians, law enforcement, military personnel, fire fighters and other groups of individuals commonly referred to as responders, hereinafter referred to as users, wear masks for protection from an environment containing harmful and possibly fatal air-born toxins or any other such hazardous material. Such toxins and materials are hazardous to respiratory systems and generally take the form of harmful gases, vapors, and particulate matter. The respiratory hazards may also include various agents, such as nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) agents, which may be in the form of particulates, vapors or aerosols.
One type of breathing apparatus, known as a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR), is a fan-forced positive pressure breathing apparatus. PAPRs are used in environments where the ambient air is relatively oxygen-rich and where filtering elements are effective in removing all contaminants from the ambient air before the ambient air enters the gas mask. PAPRs typically include a gas mask, a filtering element to remove contaminants from ambient air, a blowing element, such as, a fan, and a power source to provide operational power to the blowing element. The fan or blowing element continuously supplies filtered air to the gas mask. The filtered air replenishes the internal space of the mask, and exhaled air, also known as spent air, is continually ejected.
The filtering elements of PAPRs typically have a maximum capacity, i.e., the filtering elements capture and filter a finite amount of contaminants before the filter reaches an upper limit of contaminants the filter is able to capture. Once the filter reaches the upper limit, it no longer has the ability to capture, reduce, or filter contaminants passing to the user. Therefore, in order to sustain the protective qualities of the PAPR, the user must regularly replace the filter.
The exchange of filter ports is typically a hazardous action by the user. For instance, a user surrounded by contaminated ambient air relies on the filter of the PAPR to remove contaminants from the ambient air, so the user may safely inhale the filtered air. During exchange of the filter port, the filter is removed from the PAPR for a brief period of time. While the filter is removed, the ambient air, which may contain contaminants, is typically unmitigated while the filter on the PAPR is removed and may pass to the user. The user is susceptible to the contaminants in the ambient air, which may harm or possibly kill the user, if the ambient air is ingested, inhaled or otherwise contacts the user's skin or respiratory orifices.
There is a need for a PAPR mask that improves operation and use of the filter port by reducing, at all times, the amount of contaminants passed to the user, and in turn, facilitating breathing for the user. There is a further need for a filter port in a PAPR mask that allows the user to replace the filter without increasing susceptibility to ambient contaminants or rendering the user vulnerable to such contaminants.